Given vectors A,B and C in 3d space,
state whether they are scalar, vectors or unidentified.
I have the answers I just need the explanation..

(AXB).C = scalar
(A.B)XC = unidentified
(A.B).C = unidentified

How do you tell if these are scalars, vectors or unidentified?

Dec 29th 2007, 06:44 AM

Plato

The two operations, dot product and cross product, are operations on vectors.
The dot product yields a scalar while the cross product yields another vector.
Using either of these operations between a vector and a scalar is undefined.

Dec 29th 2007, 08:02 AM

dankelly

Thanks alot I understand the concept now, also could you clarify these two meanings with regards to vectors?
Whats the difference between Orthogonal and perpendicular?

I know to be Orthogonal is two vectors having an inner product equal to zero. But is this what perpendicular means? is it the same thing? the inner product equals zero?